Court Orders FG, Police To Pay Sanusi N50m

A Federal High Court, Lagos has ordered the Federal Government, the State Security Service and the police to immediately release the passport unlawfully seized from the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The court, in a judgment delivered on Thursday, ordered the respondents, including the police, to pay N50m to Sanusi as exemplary damages for the unlawful detention and seizure of his passport.

Justice Ibrahim Buba delivered the judgment in the fundamental enforcement suit instituted by Sanusi following his arrest, detention, and seizure of his passports on February 20.

The judge, who earlier in his judgment, dismissed the respondents' preliminary objection to the suit, held that the respondents, acting through the SSS “do not have power to forcefully withdraw and seize the applicant's passport for any reason.”

He ordered the respondents to issue a public apology to the applicant for the his “unlawful arrest, harassment, intimidation, withdrawal and seizure of his passport”.

Officers of the SSS had on February 20 arrested Sanusi and seized his passport at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

The police, through its counsel, Mr. David Abuo, had said they had no case against Sanusi and was not aware of any allegations against him.